The Hollings Cancer Center (HCC) is a component of the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). At its inception, the leadership of MUSC specifically gave the Director of the HCC the mandate to create a national center of excellence in cancer research, care, and outreach that serves the needs of the people of South Carolina. MUSC provided the Director with the authority necessary to accomplish this mandate and has provided the sustained resources required to fulfill it. The HCC has benefited from an exceptional level of direct institutional commitments in terms of space and funding, as indicated throughout this application and summarized below. In addition, the HCC has also received an exceptional level of indirect institutional support. For instance, the HCC is included in planning and shaping initiatives both in the academic and medical enterprises at MUSC. Thus, the growth of the HCC has been integrated successfully into the growth of the institution as a whole, and opportunities for cost-effective leveraging of resources are identified and exploited. The activities of the HCC are also fully endorsed by MUSC, which has greatly facilitated access to state funding, philanthropy and, importantly, the outreach efforts. Furthermore, MUSC has fully supported the policy of the Cancer Center to reach out to and work with all relevant entities within the State and nationally to further the goal of reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina.